Homily Cycle A 12-25-2025 Offered at OLPH [Readings from Midnight Mass]]
The Prophet Isaiah tells us, our Savior will bring Light into the darkness of our world. He will be called Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father Forever, Prince of Peace. In the Letter to Titus we heard that “The grace of God appeared in Jesus Christ.”
The story about Mary and Joseph searching for a place to stay is a familiar one at Christmas time. Let me share with you a beautiful twist on that story.
The annual Christmas play was being practiced. Johnny was big for his age--seven years old. Everyone wondered what role the teacher would give him in the annual Christmas pageant. The teacher gave Johnny the role of the Innkeeper, he was delighted and had one line: "There is no room in the Inn."
The evening of the pageant was finally here, the auditorium was filled. The children entered singing "Oh come all ye faithful" then came Mary & Joseph who walked up to the Inn. "Please sir, my wife is great with child. May we have a room for the night?"
Johnny was ready he began, "There is" but then he hesitated. He regained his composure and started [again] “There is” he hesitated. Joseph improvised and started walking away toward the stable. Johnny, also, improvised & called out: "Look, there's plenty of room at my house, just come on home with me." [Adopted and modified from Sermons.com, "No Room in the Inn"] The audience was delighted with this twist on the familiar story.
"There is no room in the Inn," recurred throughout Jesus' ministry in many different ways.
The question for us is, will there ever be any room for him?
Is there room for Christ in the Inn of our lives?
Is the room we offer our Savior a stable or our entire life: heart, soul, will and actions?
In our secular culture Christmas ends today but not in our Church.
We join the shepherds, unworthy but welcome guests to the great mystery of pure love among us. In the Creed we will pray we acknowledge Jesus as true man and true God, fully human and fully God. Howard Thurman illuminates the real message of Christmas.
“When the song of the angels is stilled,
when the star in the sky is gone,
when the kings and princes are home,
when the shepherds are back with their flocks,
the work of Christmas begins:
to find the lost,
to heal the broken
to feed the hungry,
to release the prisoner,
to rebuild the nations,
to bring peace among the people,
to make music in the heart.” [Howard Thurman, an African-American theologian, educator, and civil rights leader]
During Advent we prepared for today “THE SAVIOR’S BIRTH” and now we reminded to live for Him:
to find the lost,
to heal the broken,
to feed the hungry,
to release the prisoner,
to rebuild the nations,
to bring peace among the people,
to make music in the heart.
For a few minutes reflect on how we will do our Christmas work.
May God Be Praised.
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